United Kingdom

In January 2012, the penetration rate of fixed broadband is 31.7% of the population above the EU average of 27.7%. The United Kingdom has 73.1% of fixed lines providing speeds of 10 Mbps and above. With regards to high and ultra fast speeds, 5.5% of lines provide speeds between 30Mbps and below 100Mbps and 0.1% of fixed lines provide speeds equal or above 100 Mbps. The percentage of lines above 10Mbps in United Kingdom is 23.9 p.p. above the EU average rate of 48.4% of lines in this speed range.
Mobile broadband penetration is 63.9%. In 2011 81% of the population use the internet regularly. With regards to disadvantaged people, the rate was 69%. 11% of citizens have never used the internet. Take-up of eCommerce is high, with 71% of the population buying online. 14.9% of businesses and 14.3% of SMEs sold online. In 2009, business expenditure on R&D (BERD) in the ICT sectors amounted to 2948 mio €.
The share of ICT in total BERD is average, at above 15%.